I know, I know...I've not been mosting much lately. Work has been keeping me very busy right now, so I don't have as much free time in front of the keyboard. I'm actually having to do work, and I do NOT approve. ;) I can hardly believe it's been a month since my last post. Well here are some updates and thoughts:

• The new baby is here and doing fine. Lulu is too precious for words, and is adjusting nicely to life in Wyoming. She's getting along well with her new brothers, and is becoming less timid. She's spoiled rotten, and the boys are getting plenty of love and cuddle time too to ensure that we don't run into problems with jealousy. We've located the camera again, so a range of photos will be coming soon.
• Planning is well underway for this year's AIDS Walk. Things are going very well this year, and I'm working on details for Drag Queen Bingo too. It should be one of Laramie's most exciting events once again! April 18th...mark your calendars now!
• For the first time ever, I have someone in my life when Valentine's Day rolls around. This will be the first time I've had someone to celebrate it with, and Jesse's too. We're not doing the usual dinner and flowers thing, though. As usual, I'm helping Janet down at Killian's Florist make it through her busiest couple of days of the year. I start tonight after my day job, and will help get things ready and organized. I'll probably also help prepare some of the orders and deliveries for tomorrow. I'll also be helping out Friday night. Saturday is the big day, of course, and Jesse's going to help too. The plan is for me to help out in the shop and he'll drive one of the vans doing deliveries. We'll be together in a way, and it's actually a lot of fun delivering smiles and happiness to random strangers. Then we'll have cocktails in the shop at the end of the night, and Jesse and I will no doubt go out somewhere to have our first real V-day.
• I wanted to share a new term I cooked up the other night. I was describing one of the bartenders at our favorite watering hole, The Library. He's trying to become a fire fighter too. After agreeing with Jesse and Mr. Jones that he's not hard on the eyes, I added "He's also got that 'Oh Garsh' quality about him, kind of a corn-fed naievete." As we continued driving, I thought about the mash up of a French term with a pastoral descriptor, and was rather proud of my new oxymoronic neologism. (Look it up!) Just thought I'd share.
• My taxes are done and filed. I can't wait for the refund check to get here. It's going to exciting things like a transmission flush, paying off bills, and groceries. We're such party animals.
• Wyoming's Defense of Marriage bill failed in the Senate. Never made it out of committee. So someone decided they'd take it up in the House. While it did make it out of committee, it died on the floor in a 25-35 vote. Focus on the Family dumped time and money into the effort. So glad it was wasted! Many, including some of my friends, jumped into attack mode right away. Some didn't just try to respond, they almost went into a panic. I think some forgot that legislation of this nature has been introduced every year since 1994 in Wyoming, and that it rarely makes it out of committee. I decided to sit this one out on the sidelines. I reminded myself that we cannot all be everything to everyone, and that we have to take some time for ourselves every now and then. That, and I have a little more faith in the common sense of Wyomingites. Okay, and their tendency to exactly the opposite of what outsiders (see Focus on the Family above) tell us we should do.
• Jesse has night classes three days a week this semester, so spending time together is a precious commodity. We're still managing to go out for a drink now and then or make it to a friend's house for dinner or a movie. We've had folks over to the house a bit too, but we're not seeing enough of everyone. It's just the nature of the beast for a while. In other words, for our local friends and family, please don't take offense if we can't make it to something or haven't seen you in a while. It's not because we don't love you, it's because we're running in too many directions. We don't see each other enough, and "it ain't all about you!" ;) Also, if you've got something you want to include us in, it's best to let us know in advance. We have a calendar on the wall at home for recording our meetings, events, and obligations. Get on it sometime!

These are but of few of the recent adventures in the Rainbow Kingdom. Stay tuned for the next update, though the management hopes it will not take another month for it to happen.